Process of grading and concentrating ores



110.454,071. Patented June 16,1891.

1N: casus Penas co., mum mno., msnmcmw, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HANNIBAL SOOVELL, OF PORTLAND, COLORADO.

PROCESS OF GRADING AND CONCENTRATING ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 454,071, dated June 16,1891. Application tiled October 29, 1890. Serial No. 369,736. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HANNIBAL SCOVELL, a citizen of the United States,residing in Portland, in the county of Ouray and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in the Process of Gradingand Concentrating Ores; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to practice the same.

My invention relates to an improved process of grading and concentratingores and minerals.

The object of the invention is economyand eiticiency in the separationof minerals and' ores from worthless or refuse matter; and to this endmy invention consists, essentially, in subjecting mineral or ore to theaction of an intermittent, upwardly-progressive, reciprocating, orundulatory current or volume of fluid, as air or water.

The invention also consistsin subjecting the mineral to be treated tothe above-described action of fluid under pressure.

In carrying out my process many combinations and arrangements ofmechanism may be adopted, one of which, especially adapted for usingwater or other like fluid, I will proceed to describe, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification,in which the figure represents a side elevation, partly in section, oanapparatus suitable for conducting my new process. l

A is a vessel,having a discharge-cocka and an upper part or dome A. Theupper part has awell or passage through it and an an- Y nular partitionoutside the walls of the well,

and between this partition and the well a closed chamber is formed.rThis upper part is also provided with cocks a a', through which thetailings or waste material is discharged.

B is a foraminated horizontal diaphragm or screen. i

C is a duid-conduit leading from source of supply, as a tank O, to thelower part A of the vessel below the diaphragm. Connected with thisconduit is a reciprocating pump D,hav ing check-valves cl d, and alsoconnected with the -same is a loop or switch D', extending around thevalve between the pump and the vessel. In this loop or switch is a cockd for regulating the size of passage through it. The pump is driven inany suitable manner, an eccentric and shaft being shown adapted for thatpurpose. The pump being started and the lower part A of the vesselbeingfilled with fluid and pulp being fed through the well or passageover the screen, the cock d in the switch is partially opened, at whichtime the forward stroke of the pump will force a volume of fluid equalto its capacity into the vessel, and its backward or return stroke willdraw its supply partly from the main source or tank O and partlybackward from the vessel. By this means an intermittentupwardly-progressive reciprocating current or volume of iluid isproduced in the vessel, and the ore or mineral is kept in suspensionuntil separation takes place, when the heavy values settle upon and aredrawn through the screen bythe backward impulse, and the lighterportions are carried onward by reason of the forward impulse, and passoff as tailings through one or another of the discharge-cocks a a'. Thebackward impulse is assisted and augmented andan undulatory movement ofthe mass is produced by compressed air within the dome or closed chamberabove the surface of the liquid. The compressed air operates as a pistonto force the mass downward and backward, supplementing the force ofgravity and causing the volume to move more promptly than wouldotherwise be the case.

A rotary spreader F for mechanically distributing the pulp over thescreen, and gearing for operating the same, is shown in the drawing; butas it forms no part of the invent-ion herein claimed it will not befurther described.

I'do not herein claim the apparatus for carrying out my new process, thesame being made the subject of application, Serial No. 368,591, filed byme on the 18th day of October, 1890.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is@ l. The improvedprocess of concentrating herein described, which consists in subject-IOO ing,` ores and minerals to the action oan in elastic or yieidng'pressure, subsinniizilly ne termittent upw:ndiy-progreesivereeiprocatdescribed. lo ing current or volume of Huid, substantially Intestimony whereof I :iiix my signature in as described. the presence oftwo Witnesses.

5 2. The process described, which consists in IIANNIBAL SCGVELL.

subjecting ores and minerals to the action of Witnesses: anintermittent, upwardly-progressive, recip A. J. STlLES, meeting, orundnlatorycurrenb of uid under XVM. M. STOCKBRIDGE.

